Improvement in breech-loading ordnance



l l l2Sheets--Sheet 1'.

-G. H. FELT. Breach-'Lnding Ordnance.

.a ented lan. 26,1875.l

. thereto.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. FELT, OF NEW YORK, N.- Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREEECH-LOADING ORDNAANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,170, dated January 26, 1875; application led June 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FELT, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Breech or Muzzle Loading Gannon, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in the novel construction and application of an elastic breech-plug, composed of vulcanized rubber or other suitable similar elastic material, combined with wrought-iron or steel, or other suitable metal appliances, for the purpose of securely closing the breech of a cannon in the bore thereof, when the same is run entirely through the cannon; said plug being so constructed, proportioned, and applied in the bore of the cannon as to have suflicient frictional surface against the metal surface of the bore of the breech as to prevent the plug, when properly screwed up, from being blown out of or moved longitudinally bodily in the breech when the charge of powder is exploded therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the breech of a cannon with one form and adaptation of my improved elastic breech plug applied Fig. 2 is an external view of the plug about as constructed, proportioned, and put together for insertion in the bore of the cannon. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the breech of a cannon, showing another form of the adaptation of my improved elastic breech-plug applied therein. Fig. 4 is an external view of the. modified form and construction ofthe plug as put together for insertion in cannon of uniform bore from end to end. Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal section of the breech of a cannon, with the surface of the bore made with short corrugations, as shown at S, and long corrugations or wave-line surface, as shown. ,at T, either of which may be used, if found necessary or expedient, to give better hold in the cannon for the surface of the rubber cylinder to act against, by friction or tenacious hold on the bore, to prevent the plug, as constructed and operated, from being blown out .of the bore, or moved bodily longitudinally in the bore, when the plug is properly screwed thereinv and subjected to the explosion of the charge of powder in the cannon.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several gures. Y y

A represents the breech portion of a cannon having the bore running entirely through it. B is a hollow cylindrical metallic spindle, with a screw-thread on its rearor outer end, and a piston, C, on its front or inner end, said piston fitting loosely in the bore of the cannon, and having a steel face, D. E is a nut engaging with the screw-thread on the outer or rear end *of the spindle B. F is a small hole running through the spindle B, from end to end, through which the .charge of powder is ignited by a primer of any suitable kind. G is a cylindrical hollow spindle, with a screw-thread onits rear end for engagement with the nut L, and a piston-head, H, on its front end, of the same diameter as the piston O and faceplate D, so as to loosely fit the bore of the cannon. The spindle G surrounds the spindle B, so as to move freely thereon. I is a metallic ring surrounding the spindle G, and tting against the rear side of 'the piston H and against the shoulderJ in the bore. In this forni of application of my improvements, from the shoulder J to the extreme rear end of the breech of the cannon, the bore is enlarged of a uniform diameter. K is a ring,similar to the ring I, surrounding the spindle G about midway between the shoulder J and the rear end of the breech, and fitting loosely in the enlarged portion of the bore. The rings I and K both lit loosely on the spindle G, so as to be easily moved thereon. Mis a hollow cylindrical wrought-metal plug,.formed with an .external screw-thread-for engagement with an internal thread in the rear portionfof the enlarged bore of the cannon, and provided with an angular head for turning it. The plug M surroundsA the spindle Gr, so as to movev freely thereon, and when screwed home its inner end bears against the rear side of the ring K. N is a groove or recess formed around the bore in front of'the screw-threads of the plug M, for the purpose of receiving. any dirt which maybe in the screw-threads, and may be forced out of the same when the plug is screwed home, thereby preventin g any clogging of the threads. O is a 'hollow cylinder or cylinders', ot' vulcanized rubber or other similar elastic substance, surrounding and iittng closely on the spindle B, between the rear side of the piston G and the front side of the piston H, its exterior diameter corresponding with the diameter of the bore, so that it may be freely placed therein. P is a similar rubber cylinder or cylinders, as in O, surrounding and fitting closely ou the spindle G, between the rings I and K, its exterior diameter corresponding'with the diameter of the enlarged portion of the bore, s that it may be freely placed therein. The cylindrical metal rings R, in Figs. 3 and 4, are made to slip loosely over the spindle uponwhich they are placed, and are designed to divide the rubber cylinders O and P (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) into two equal parts, for the purpose, when the ,pln g is screwed in the breech, of more eiectually and equally pressing the rubber cylinders iirmly in all parts against the bore of the cannon, to more securely and thoroughly hold the plug irm in its place when the charge of powder is exploded in the cannon. rlhe breech plug, when constructed as shown in Figs. land 2, is inserted bodily into thechamber or rear end of the breech until the screw-thread on the plug M engages with the internal threads, when said plug is screwed home, pressing the ring K against the rubber P, and the ring I against the shoulder J `with sufcient force to render the rubber cylinder P quite compact in the bore of the cannon. When thus screwed up a further force is applied to compress-the cylinder P, by screwing up' the nut L to any required degree of tightness, thus ldrawing the piston E and ring I away from the shoulder J, and backward toward Vthe i ring K. The

'nut E is then screwed up to any required de,

gree of tightness, so as to draw the spindle B, with its piston C and face-plate D, backward, compressing the rubber cylinder or cyl inders O between the pistons C and H to any required degree of pressure and compactness against the bore ot' the cannon.

The charge of powder and shot being inserted in the cannon, the breech-plug is shoved in and screwed up, as before described. The piece is then ready to be tired, which is done through the aperture F by mea-ns of any suitable primer.

When the charge is tired the nuts are loosened,and the breech-plug is easily withdrawn. rlhe gun may then be charged again, the plug inserted and adjusted as before, and the operations thus continued indefinitely. Or, a cannon thus constructed may be loadedand iire'd as a muzzle-loader, Without necessarily Y' surface ot' the cylindrical rubber rings C)v and P in contact with, and hold on, the surface of the bore of the cannon when properly screwed up and compressed therein, and as actedup n for further compression by the explosion of the charge of powder in the cannon; the first eiect of which is to force back the spindle B and piston C, and compress the rubber O with a force equal to the pressure exerted on the piston C, which to that extent acts asl an elastic cushion to receive the' first shock of -the explosion, Aand thus lessen thejburstin g strain upon the cannon, which force is instantly transmitte by the piston-head H to the rubber cylinder P, further compressing them also in the bore of the cannon by the force of the shock of the explosion, thus jamming all the rubber cylinders into the bore with immense force, to I give tenacious hold and pressure laterally on the bore, to hold the p lug iirmly in its place, and prevent its being blown out, which is the result that is produced in practical operation -and use, asv

demonstrated' to experts by actual frequent trials.

The cylindrical screw-plug M, Figs. l and 2, is designed siinply as a guard or protection to aid in holding the plug in place from being blown out in case the plug is not (by accident or mistake) screwed up to the right tension to hold by the rubber surface alone.

Cannon for forts, siege, navy, or artillery use, or mortars of any of the usual styles, can be altered to suit this system, to be used either as breech or muzzle loaders, at a small cost,'thus utilizing for the Government a large number of cannon otherwise 'con demned.

Ihe essential part of this invention is embodied and combined inthe principle ot' constructing a breech-plug of metal appliances and elastic rubber cylindrical rings of equal diameter, the length of each cylinder formed, proportioned, and combined substantially as herein described, so that when it is placed into the bore of the cannon at the breech and expanded, there will"be sucient surface of rubber in contact with the bore of the cannon at the pressure at which it acts thereon by bein gjscrewedy up therein, and further compressed Vby the force 'of the explosion of the charge of powder, so that it will firmly hold itself in the bore by the friction 'of its rubber surfaces, without necessarily requiring any other appliances to ei'ect that object.

What I claim is-V-4 1. The spindle Gr, with'piston-head H and nut L, in combination with the rubber cylinder or cylinders P, all combined with the spindle B, rubber cylinder or cylinders O, nut E, and -piston-head H, to be constructed and operated together, with and in the bore of Va cannon, substantially as represented in the drawings, for the purposes hereinbefore described.

2. The combination of the spindlepG, rings v I and K, screw-plug M, and rubber cylinder P, to be made and operated together, with and in the rear end of a cannon having an enlarged bore from the shoulder J backward, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

3. A cannon made with corrugated surface for contact with the rubber plug, or any portion thereof, to aid in holding the same in the bore, substantially as shown in Fig. 5.-

4. The combination, arrangement, and adaptation of cylindrical rings, made of vulcanized rubber or ot-her similar material, of any num ber. and length required, divided by cylindri- 

